1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to throwing discs for recreational use, and more specifically to a water-skimming disc for use in a swimming pool, lake or ocean.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many toys and recreational devices on the market for use in and around swimming pools and other bodies of water. Recreational throwing discs for skimming or skipping across bodies of water have been known for many years, much like skipping flat stones across water. A well-known toy or recreational device used out of water is the flying saucer device. Such devices are tossed from one user to another, exploiting their aerodynamic aspects to enable them to glide from the thrower to the catcher through the air. However, due to their emphasis on aerodynamic design, such flying saucer devices are not adapted towards skimming or skipping over bodies of water. In addition, most flying saucer devices are manufactured with rigid material that can injure people or damage property upon impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,840 to Bustamante (1998) discloses a hydroplaning disc designed to skip or skim over water; however, the design of this disc is complex and expensive to manufacture.
Several other types of water skimming or skipping devices have been proposed. Examples are U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,922 to Clark (1990), 4,463,954 to Panse, et al. (1984), 4,395,046 to Cosmopulos (1983), and 4,151,997 to Glovak (1979). However, none of these can easily skip off a body of water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,082 to Hincke (1997) is heavy and likely expensive to manufacture.
It is the general object of the present invention to provide a lightweight disc that is easily gripped and designed to safely and efficiently skim or skip upon and across the surface of a body of water, such as a pool or the ocean, from one user to another. The invention is a hydrodynamic disc that, in one embodiment, includes a central circular core of a solid construction with a predetermined diameter and height that tapers to an outer edge. The circular core includes a softer flexible material along the edge and radially inward a short distance along the top and bottom surfaces to provide a gripping surface and safety protection to disc users.
The bottom surface includes a center bulge that tapers to a thinner outer edge and has a flat circular bottom, giving the disc efficient hydrodynamic qualities that allow it to easily skip across a body of water.
The present invention provides for a multitude of gripping means at any point along its top surface.
The simple design of the present invention provides enhanced safety to a user, hydrodynamic efficiency, is lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture.